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A review by kaitie_reads
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
"𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓬𝓲𝓻𝓬𝓾𝓼 𝓪𝓻𝓻𝓲𝓿𝓮𝓼 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓽 𝔀𝓪𝓻𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰..."
I really enjoyed this story, but parts of it did fall a little bit flat for me, too.
On the one hand, this story is absolutely beautifully written. From the alternative POVs and timelines to the historical aspects to the vivid descriptions of the circus, the writing is phenomenal. Vivid imagery is always a sign of great storytelling to me, and I felt like this story appealed to all of my senses. You can smell and hear the circus by the descriptions, you can feel the excitement of the patrons, and you can taste the exquisite foods described. It's absolutely wonderfully descriptive storytelling.
On the other hand, I didn't particularly feel invested in the characters or the storyline. The magic in the story is supposed to be perceived by the circus goers like it is a complex illusion, but it feels *too* magical to be seen as unreal. The characters are a bit flat, and their relationships were missing emotional ties. The ending still left me with some questions. The whole background to the plot felt a bit shallow and confusing. Also, I had a hard time getting into the story because it can be hard to follow the jumping timelines and POVs (the story jumps from different time periods and through multiple POVs throughout).
I did really like how the story alluded to all of life having an everyday magic lingering just beneath the surface if you open your eyes and mind to it. The story does feel very magical, and I think it's a very unique concept and execution. BUT the magic of it all kind of overpowers the storyline and characters. If I had felt more connected to the characters and their outcomes, this would've easily been a 5⭐️ read for me.
I really enjoyed this story, but parts of it did fall a little bit flat for me, too.
On the one hand, this story is absolutely beautifully written. From the alternative POVs and timelines to the historical aspects to the vivid descriptions of the circus, the writing is phenomenal. Vivid imagery is always a sign of great storytelling to me, and I felt like this story appealed to all of my senses. You can smell and hear the circus by the descriptions, you can feel the excitement of the patrons, and you can taste the exquisite foods described. It's absolutely wonderfully descriptive storytelling.
On the other hand, I didn't particularly feel invested in the characters or the storyline. The magic in the story is supposed to be perceived by the circus goers like it is a complex illusion, but it feels *too* magical to be seen as unreal. The characters are a bit flat, and their relationships were missing emotional ties. The ending still left me with some questions. The whole background to the plot felt a bit shallow and confusing. Also, I had a hard time getting into the story because it can be hard to follow the jumping timelines and POVs (the story jumps from different time periods and through multiple POVs throughout).
I did really like how the story alluded to all of life having an everyday magic lingering just beneath the surface if you open your eyes and mind to it. The story does feel very magical, and I think it's a very unique concept and execution. BUT the magic of it all kind of overpowers the storyline and characters. If I had felt more connected to the characters and their outcomes, this would've easily been a 5⭐️ read for me.